Passenger car for amusement rides



H. JOHNSON PASSENGER CAR'FOR AMUSEMENT RIDES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1926 2. UNTIMMHR Aug; 23,1927. 1,640,038

v H. JOHNSON vP.\.'-`SENGER CAR FOR AMUSEMENT RIDES Filed April 26. 1926 2 SheetS-Shell 2 fforny.

Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

f UYNlTED ST MES',

- 1,640,038 PATENT OFFICE.

HALLIGAN JOHNSON, or JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, 'AssIGNOBJ To NUDEVICE COM- prnNv, or JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA,'A CORPORATION OFFLORIDA.

` PASSENGER' CAR FOR 'AMUSEMENT` RIDES.

Application'led April 26, 1926. Serial No. 104,664.

Mypinvention relates to cars for Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, etc., and has for its main object to provide a car of novel con struction which will impart additional pleasure and thrills tothe passengers on such rides. These andl variousother objectsv and advantages will be readily understood from the. following description and from the accompanying drawings of preferred embodi ments, but it will be seen that various modiiications might be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. f

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a. front elevation of my invention, shown as applied toa Ferris wheel.

Fig. 2 isa cross-sectional side elevation of Fig. 1. r n

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a car, shown as appliedto a Amerry-go-round.

Fig. 4 is a top view of 1. Fig. 5 is a. cross-sectional top view, taken on line 5 5 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross-Sectional top view. taken on line 6 6 on Fig'. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front view of certain parts, drawn to a larger scale than the rest of the views.

Fig. 8 is a view o-f the bottom car support. Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, in' 3 which the car is shown attached to a Ferris wheel. 10 and 11 represent fragments of the revoluble frame of a standard VFerris. wheel and 12 one of the car supporting shafts attached inthe circumference of such a wheel. In the present invention, the shaft 12 is rigidly attached bet-weenthe frames 10 and 11 and a yoke, consisting of two bearings 13 and 14 having hangers 15 and 16 supporting a cross-member 17. is suspended from this shaft and free to rotate thereon. A vertical bearing 18 is provided in this crossmember and a vertical shaft 19 is journalled in this bearing. To the upper end of they shaft 19, a. bevel gear 2O is rigidly attached which is driven'l by a bevel gear21 rigidly attached to the shaft l12. f f

The passenger car, which is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 22, is suspended on the vertical shaft V19 by means of the supv port 23 rigidly katte-.ched under the car floor 24. This support, which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. consists of a. body partk 25, having a square hole 26 in its center. and four arms 2T. The lower end of the shaft 19 is 'rovidn threaded portion 29.

ed 'with 'a squared portion '28, which tilts,

loosely into. the hole 26, as well as with a A -nut 30 which is secured against removal gin any suitable manner secures the support to the shaft.

The car, which is circular in shape, consistsfof a closed lower part--31 and an Vupper Y wire mesh covered part 32. v A door 33 gives access to the interior `'where a circular seat 34 and a back rest 35 are provided as shown.

The roof 36 is providedwith an opening through whichthe shaft 19 passes.

lAn. annular guide 37 is attached to .the roof 36 by .fa-.plurality of vbrackets 38 and engagesl on its inner surface ywith rollers 39 and 40, which turn horizontally in'k brackets 41 and42=ecured tothe cross-member 17,

In Fig. 7 the guide ring and rollers are shown on 'a larger scale. The rollers. are

formed with flanges-43 which extend'under the guide ring and vact as guards should the car for any reason be dislodgedl from the vertical sha-ft.

It will be readily seen that, as the Ferris wheel turns, the gear 21 will drivethe gear 20 and thus revolve the car 22 and that the vrollers 39 and 40, on the guide ring 37, will steady the top of the car as it revolves.

, In Figs. 3and 6, the car is shown as applied to a merry-go-round and a modified form of guide is shown. In this case, the gear 21 is attached to the shaft 44, which is revolved in the manner common to overhead shafts on merry-go-rounds. The'guide 45, which is plainly shown in Fig. 6. is pro* vided with a plurality of cam faces y46, 47, and 48 on which the two rollers. 39 and 40 engage. The shape of these cam faces are vhole 49 is cut in the roof 36. It will, of

course,.be understood that a guide of this kind might also beused in connection with a Ferris wheel and that a number ofvariations might be made in the number and shape Of the cam faces.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is- 1. In combination with an amusementride having a horizontal car-supporting shaft; ay passenger car having a yoke rotatably mounted onthe horizontal shaft, a vert-ical ,shaft rotatably mounted in the yoke,- ,a ear body fixed to the vertical shaft, transmission.'

means between the horizontal and vertical shafts for imparting rotary motion to the car body, a, guide plate secured to the top of the car body, and rollers mounted on, the yoke for engaging the guide plate and guiding the top of the car body during-V its rotation.

2. In combination With an amusement ride having a horizontal` car-supporting shaft; a passenger ear having a yoke rotatably mounted on the horizontal shaft, a Vertical shaft rotatably mounted in the yoke, a car body fixed to the vertical shaft, transmis sion means between the horizontal and vertical shafts for imparting rotary motion to the car body, a guide plate secured to the top of the car body, and lrollers mounted on the yoke forengaging the guide plate and imparting a Wobbly motion to the top of the car body during its rotation.

3. In combination with an amusement ride having a horizontal car-supporting shaft; a passenger car havingl a yoke rotatably mounted on the horizontal shaft, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in the yoke, a car body fixed to the Vertical shaft, transn'iission means betvveen the horizontal and vertical shafts for imparting rotary motion to the car body, a guide plate secured to the top of thev car body near its periphery, rollers mounted on the yoke and engaging t ie guideplate. for, guiding the top of the car body during its rotation, and flanges on the rollers adapted to enga-ge the underside of the guide plate and suspend the ear body in case of accidental dislodgement from the vertical shaft.

Ll. In combination With an amusement ride having a horizontal car-supporting shaft; a passenger car having a yoke rotatably mounted on the horizontal shaft, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in the yoke, a car body fixed to the vertical shaft, transmission means between the horizontal andl vertical shafts for imparting rotary motion to the car body, a guide plate having` cam faces secured to the top of the car body near its periphery, rollers mounted on the yoke and engaging the cam faces on the guide plate for imparting a wobbly motion to the top of the car body during its rot-ation, and flanges on the rollers adapted to engage the underside of the guide plate and suspend the oar body in case of accidental displacement from the vertical shaft.

HALLIGAN JOHNSON. 

